The Mummy's Curse
by ChibiLover123
Summary: When Alexandra went looking for her older brother after he disappeared in Egypt, she was not expecting lost cities, magical books, or walking mummies. That's the old O'Connell luck for you. Mummy/Pokemon crossover, possible romance in the future.
1. Chapter 1

Rick O'Connell's military career had taken a nosedive in recent months, what with his entire garrison marching into the Egyptian desert- _against orders_ -, finding Hamunaptra, ending up the sole survivor of a massacre there- _besides Beni, the traitor_ -, and then being thrown into prison.

They'd even taken Tip from him, though the Houndoom had not made the task easy for anyone.

With his execution looming, Rick was of the opinion things could not get any worse.

"Hello, brother."

 _Never mind_.

Smile a bright slash against sun-darkened skin, Alexandra beamed at her bedraggled sibling, errant brown curls falling in laughing green eyes.

"Fancy meeting you here."

"How'd you find me?" Rick demanded tiredly, knuckles turning white on the prison bars.

"Oh, you know, I asked around." She replied airily, messy ponytail bouncing down her back with each move. "And once we got close enough, Scarlet was able to figure out the rest."

Said Lucario nodded her head regally in acceptance of this fact, so caked in sand and grime that it was almost impossible to see the patterns on her fur, let alone the color.

"You know, when ma said you'd see me through prison bars one day, she probably figured you'd be on the _outside_."

"Are you here to make fun, or are you gonna help me?" He snapped, already done with his younger sister's teasing.

"Just a couple more minutes to bask in the proof that mom was wrong." Alexandra countered, looking very much like the Persian that caught the Rattata.

"Alex-!"

"Excuse me…"

Both siblings turned their attention to the newcomers, finding the warden had led a second pair of siblings over to this particular viewing chamber, his Hippowdon lumbering behind.

The young woman smiled a bit uneasily, her Kirlia glancing between the many humans as her lanky brother's Ambipom chittered nervously.

"Who are you?" Rick started, curiosity tempering his anger. "And who's the broad?"

" _Broad_?" The young woman replied, British accent dripping with confusion, just as Alexandra reached through the bars to flick her brother's ear.

"Sorry about him." She apologized cheerfully, ignoring the hiss and grumble of swearwords that were aimed at her back. "He normally keeps that kind of stuff to himself, but prison has changed him."

Even Scarlet snickered at the darkening threats that followed, ears twitching in time with the Kirlia's sensitive horns.

"What brings you to this happy slice of prison?"

"Well I'm, I'm just a local sort of missionary chap, spreading the good word and all that." The man explained, smile shaky. "This is my sister, Evy."

The two women shared a nod in greeting, their Pokemon humming, as Rick rolled his shoulders back.

"Oh, well, I guess she's not a total loss."

"I beg your pardon-!"

Alexandra flicked his ear again, harder, as the warden shouted and then stalked off, his Hippowdon huffing before waddling after.

"Um, we have found your, uh, hello? Excuse me?" Evy began, pulling the jailed American's attention back from the scene occurring elsewhere in the yard. "We have found your, your puzzle box, and we've come to ask you about it."

"…No."

Staying silent at this new turn, Alexandra eyed her brother quietly as Evy seemed to deflate.

"No?"

"No. You came to ask me about Hamunaptra."

"How do you know the box pertains to Hamunaptra?" She pressed, eager despite her sibling's quick, agitated sweep of the area.

"Cause that's where it was when I found it. I was there."

Rick ignored the startled sound his sister swallowed at the admission, skin prickling as a pulse of Aura swept over him from a concerned Scarlet.

"How do we know that's not a load of pig's swallow?" The other man challenged, leaning in close as his Ambipom yanked back on his collar, twin tails flailing.

"Do I know you?"

His mask of aggression faltered, and _just_ as he began rambling-

Rick's fist shot out, catching him right in the nose, and he fell back with a choked cry as the guards struck their volatile prisoner.

Rolling her eyes, Alexandra bent at the waist to inspect the poor man's recently-battered face with the air of someone used to such violence.

"You alright?"

Blinking reflexive tears from his eyes, he looked up and paused, gaze traveling from the brunette's dusty boots, up her clothed legs- _pants, a woman wearing pants!_ -over the cotton button-up shirt, to the almost sweet-looking face containing big green eyes and framed by uncontained curls.

"Oh, I'm fine." He insisted, scrambling up as his Ambipom swayed violently on his shoulders. "Takes a bit more than that to keep me down, you know."

"Uh-huh." Alexandra muttered, unconvinced. "If you say so."

A commotion erupted at the cell, and she whipped around, wide-eyed, to see the guards dragging her brother away from a shell-shocked Evy.

"Rick!"

"Where are they taking him?" Evy wondered, not taking her eyes off the door he had been dragged through.

"To be hanged." The warden answered bluntly. "Apparently, he had a _very_ good time."

* * *

Sitting in between Warden Hassan and Alexandra was not exactly where Evelyn wanted to be, but considering the way he was still cradling a bloody nose, it _was_ necessary.

Isis wisely also acted as a barrier between Scarlet and his Hippowdon, Sabra, red eyes darting between them as her horns tickle.

"I will give you one hundred pounds to save this man's life." Evelyn offered, heart starting to race as Rick was pulled onto the platform below.

"Madam, I would _pay_ one hundred pounds just to see him hang."

Alexandra went still, eyes flashing in the bright Egyptian sunlight, jaw clenched tight against further violence as Scarlet bared sharp fangs.

"Two, two hundred pounds." Evelyn rushed, panic starting to set in as the noose was prepped.

"Proceed!"

"Three hundred pounds!"

A howling started up below them as the rope was knotted around Rick's neck, metal rattling as Tip rammed his horns against the bars, sparks flying despite the muzzle holding his maw shut.

Alexandra took deep breaths, knuckles white on the seat of her chair, as the Houndoom's furious, terrified barks drowned out the next few exchanges.

But then the warden motioned for his men to pause, jarring her back into reality.

"And what else?" He wondered, laying a hand on Evelyn's thigh. "I am a very lonely man…"

With a gasp, she slapped the offending hand away while Isis whirled around, horns buzzing with outrage as Alexandra shot to her feet, teeth bared.

"Hands. Off."

Prisoners' laughter rose up from the cages below, delighted at his rejection, and Warden Hassan lost his temper.

The lever was pulled, and-

"RICK!"

"No!"

Tip's howl echoed off the sandstone walls as his human struggled for breath, gravity not enough to snap his neck, and Alexandra jerked to the railing as the reality set in.

"Ah ha! His neck did not break!" The warden shouted, sounding almost gleeful. "Oh, I'm so sorry. Now we must watch him strangle to death."

Not stopping for even a moment to think through her actions, the brunette swung herself over the wooden railings and hit the sand with a roll, Scarlet not two steps behind as she raced towards the hangman's noose.

A pair of guards trying to block her path failed spectacularly, and were left clutching their bruised groins in the sand as she slid beneath Rick's flailing legs.

She was just tall enough to slot her shoulders behind his knees and lift, taking his weight with a grunt as the rope went the slightest bit slack around Rick's neck.

"Damn, you've gained some weight…"

Flames melted the sand into glass, causing guards and prisoners alike to flinch back from the heat as Tip raced to their aid, bruised and battered and clearly incensed beyond the point of pain.

"A little help, Tippy." Alexandra grunted, locking her knees to keep from buckling as Scarlet kicked a Hippopotas head-over-heels in the opposite direction.

Skidding around her, the Houndoom braced the woman's legs, tail lashing side to side while Scarlet defended the perimeter with well-placed Aura Spheres.

"Damn, damn, damn…" The brunette ground out, muscles aching with the strain, and Rick jerked as his airway started to press closed again-

"Cut him down!"

And suddenly, the rope was severed and all of his considerable weight landed right on Alexandra's shoulders to leave both siblings sprawled in the sand, Tip wriggling out from under her as Scarlet jogged over with a questioning yip.

Staring up at the little window of sky overhead, green eyes shining, she huffed out a watery laugh as Rick sat up, catching his breath.

"Bet you're happy to see me _now_."

All he had the energy for was a roll of the eyes, dropping back against one of the wooden posts with a groan.

 _Sisters_.


	2. Chapter 2

Giza Port was a bustling hub of activity as Evelyn and Jonathon made their way to the ship's gangplank, Isis twirling on their heels in a celebratory dance among the floating luggage and Basil hanging off one of his human's shoulders to chatter at the various passerby.

"Do you _really_ think he's going to show up?" Evelyn wondered, a smile tugging on her mouth as the Kirlia twirled past.

"Yes, undoubtedly, knowing my luck." Jonathon assured, steering his sister around the sailors and Pokemon busy loading up the boat. "He may be a cowboy, but I know the breed. His word is his word."

"Well, personally, I think he's filthy, rude, a complete scoundrel." She stated heatedly, causing Isis to pause for a moment as she filtered through the tumble of emotions that flowed over her horns. "I don't like him one bit."

"Anyone we know?"

That voice was familiar, but the man Evelyn came face-to-face with was a surprise.

Clearly, Rick O'Connell had spent his time out of prison wisely, if the way her Kirlia shuddered was any indication.

Even Tip, who had been caked in sand and blood from his own experience, was clean and handsome-looking, black fur shining and bony horns gleaming from a thorough grooming.

"Oh, um…Hello."

"I don't know, brother, I can think of somebody who fits that description."

Jonathon about swallowed his tongue, though Basil helpfully smacked it back out with both tails.

 _A shower and fresh clothes did wonders, apparently_.

While Alexandra had seemed rather adorable and dusty at the prison, now it was possible to see the red tint in her curly hair and the soft golden hue of her skin, a fresh white button-up and dark pants failing to hide all the soft curves underneath.

"No hard feelings about the…?" Rick wondered, miming a punch, and Jonathon rushed to wave it off, hoping not to experience a repeat over ogling the man's sister.

"Oh, no, no, happens all the time."

"Mister O'Connell." Evelyn voiced, gathering up her wits. "Can you look me in the eye and guarantee that this isn't all some kind of a, a flimflam? Because if it is, I am warning you-"

"You're warning me?" Rick cut in, Tip shaking his horns with a snort. "Lady, let me put it this way. My whole damn garrison believed in this so much that without orders, they marched halfway across Libya and into Egypt to find that city. And when we got there, all we found was sand and blood."

His words dampened Alexandra's mischievous smile, who watched the man pick up the luggage from Isis' telekinetic grip and head towards the ship with a grumbled "Let me get your bags."

"Don't mind him." She rerouted, managing a grin. "He's a little jumpy about the place. I'm sure Ricky will mellow out."

Evelyn mouthed the nickname, still a little dumbfounded, before the sudden appearance of Scarlet surprised her a second time.

She had guessed that the Lucario was a rarer coloration under the earlier grime, a lighter green and aqua color that some people were lucky enough to spot, but Scarlet was instead a bright gold, the fur of her chest and throat an unblemished white that put the bone-bleached sand of Egypt's deserts to shame.

Pressing a hand to her human's knee, Isis hummed while the pair shared a glance, and Alexandra let out a drawn-out sigh as a familiar man approached.

"A bright good morning to all." Warden Hassan greeted them, Sabra lumbering at his heels.

"I'm going to jail for murder." Alexandra stated blandly, not even turning to face the man.

"Oh no, what are _you_ doing here?" Evelyn demanded, exasperated with the day's surprises.

"I'm here to protect my investment." He explained curtly, following his Hippowdon up the gangplank despite the wood's creaking protests. "Thank you very much."

Isis rubbed her horns irritably as the humans sighed in unison, resigned to their fate, and Alexandra rubbed a hand between Scarlet's ears.

"If I throw him overboard, let's all agree to let him drown."

* * *

The night air coming off the Nile was cool on her face, soothing, and Alexandra closed both eyes as a stray breeze ruffled her loose hair.

Music and voices flowed over her, light spilling out into iridescent pools on the water, as Scarlet pressed close on one side, shades of gold flickering in her fur with each breath.

Auras mingled like rainbow fractals in the darkness behind her lids, and Scarlet hummed, lazily watching the gathering that was taking place on the main deck a few yards away.

Jonathon was playing a game of poker with three Americans, the men boisterous and loud as they dealt hands and traded chips with ease.

Evy was on the other side of the ship, safely away from all the hubbub, but Alexandra found the background noise comforting.

A ripple disturbed the pretty mosaic of Aura, and Scarlet went unnaturally still, fur starting to prickle against the exposed skin of her arm.

Someone slid into the seat across from them, the lack of a table allowing an invasion of personal space that was impossible to ignore, and she finally opened her eyes.

The man was lanky, like Jonathon, though a head or so shorter, his dark hair visibly oily and eyes sunken over a sly smile.

A Raticate shuffled closer, chattering softly, and Scarlet's lips began to pull back in a growl.

Alexandra said nothing, eyeing this man and waiting for whatever he wanted to say.

"It is not right for a beautiful woman such as yourself to be alone during such a celebration."

After a slow blink, the brunette smiled, leaning closer so long tendrils of curls slid over her shoulders and flashed red in the lamplight.

"You're right." She replied, apparently oblivious to the way her shirt revealed a sliver of skin leading down into the shadows between her breasts or his sudden interest in it. "And who's my savior this evening?"

"Beni." He squeaked, coughing to get the lump out of his throat. "Beni, at your service."

"I've heard a lot about you, Beni." Alexandra continued, walking her fingers up his hand so gently Beni shuddered with goosebumps.

"You, you have?"

"Yeah…"

Leaning in closer, the scent of vanilla filling the space between them, she walked a hand up his with feather-light touches until goosebumps rippled up Beni's arms with a shudder.

"I was hoping to see you…"

With the suddenness of a striking snake, Beni was yanked forward violently, face striking the railing with a CRACK, and Alexandra loomed over the man with a face like thunder.

" _That's_ for leaving my brother to die in the desert."

Beni squeaked as her foot shot out, falling over while cupping his abused groin, Raticate squealing as Scarlet snarled, pinning the Normal-type down with one rear paw.

" _That's_ for looking down my shirt."

Shoving her hair back, Alexandra turned and stalked off, though Scarlet stayed long enough to sear both with a red-eyed glare before following.

"Hello, Beni."

With a yelp, Beni whipped around to find Rick standing at his back, Tip sliding past to corner the Raticate with his fangs bared in a wolfish smile.

"Looks like you met my baby sister, Alex."

Wide-eyed, all the Hungarian could do was squeak.

"Sister?"


	3. Chapter 3

"I feel much better now." Alexandra noted brightly, weaving a braid over one shoulder as Scarlet folded back the cot's sheets. "Don't you feel better?"

The Lucario slanted a look the woman's way, almost scolding, despite the slight upward tilt of her mouth.

"Would you rather I go throw the warden overboard instead?"

Snickering at the eye roll she got in response, Alexandra set aside her well-worn boots and crossed to the low cot, long sleeping shirt brushing against the tops of her thighs with each step.

"Even with the giant waste of space and Sabra, I think this trip is getting off to a great start."

 _Of course, at that_ _ **exact**_ _moment, the universe just_ _ **had**_ _to prove her wrong_.

Shots echoed through the walls, and the pair stared at each other for a moment, Scarlet wholly unimpressed with this turn of events.

"…My bad?"

Another round of gunfire, followed by screams and the growing crackle of flames, propelled them out of the room and down hallway, heedless of anything but the survival of their own.

One of the ship's attackers was unlucky enough to cross her path, stunned at the sight of a half-naked woman barreling towards him, flanked by a _gold Lucario_ -

That split second was all Alexandra needed, muscles coiling like steel bands beneath soft flesh, as she leapt up to wrap strong legs around the man's shoulders and twist to throw him into a head-first spin towards the nearest wall.

Intercepting a Cacturne's Needle Arm with a well-timed Counter, Scarlet struck her off-balance opponent with a Black Kick that caved the floor in on secondary impact.

All of this took a handful of seconds, and the pair hardly broke stride as they continued on towards the growing chaos ahead.

The whole boat was a pitched battle between black-robed assailants and the passengers, blood staining the wooden deck as Mandibuzz and Vibrava swooped overhead and Krokorok, Marowak and Heliolisk tore through whatever resistance they came across.

Tip's roar and a fresh glut of flame off to one side assured Alexandra in that split second that Rick was alive and kicking, so she leapt into the fray with a battle cry.

Whirling around, one of the attackers froze as Scarlet slammed a Force Palm into one Heliolisk and threw the large Pokemon into an unsuspecting Krokorok, sliding underneath a Marowak's Bone Club to deliver an Aura Sphere at point-blank range.

"The Golden One-!"

Alexandra struck at that moment, whipping her leg around in a kick that rattled teeth and grabbing his shirt mid-turn to drive her shoulder in and throw the man overboard with a choked cry.

The momentum allowed her to slide underneath a sword swing, lashing out to topple her attacker into the railing with a CRACK that had him stumbling back with a bloody nose.

Striking the diaphragm hard, she finished him off with an upward palm strike that drove the weakened bone into the man's brain so he crumpled like a sack of bricks.

The Americans, who had been whooping and shooting from behind a makeshift barricade, watched in wide-eyed awe as Scarlet ducked away from a Mandibuzz's Air Slash, leaping onto the vulture-like Pokemon back as he passed to jam a Thunder Punch between his wings instead.

With a paw wrapped around the Bone Vulture's neck, she steered her involuntarily ride into a crash-landing that knocked over a trio of Heliolisk, leaping free at the last moment as Alexandra grabbed a man's raised arm by the wrist, pressing hard on the joint while twisting it around with a sickening POP and CRACK, ending his screams with a knee to the face.

The three men swallowed hard.

"Whoa…"

"Alex!"

"Kinda busy, Ricky!" She shouted back, catching another's sword-arm and kicking his knee out of joint before flipping him neatly around onto his back.

"No time!" Rick ordered, dragging Evelyn to the starboard railing as Tip spat a Flamethrower at the trailing Krokorok and Isis' Dazzling Gleam forced a quartet of Vibrava off-course. "Jump!"

Experience had taught Alexandra not to ignore that tone, and so she grabbed Scarlet's paw to swing them both over the nearest railing.

The Nile was frigid cold, a shock to her system, and the brunette coughed as she surfaced, Scarlet perched on her back to keep from sinking.

Kicking over to Evelyn as Rick hit the water, Alexandra took hold of the sputtering Brit's hand, guiding Isis to hold on one of her shoulders.

"Come on, shore's that way."

After a few moments where Evelyn got over the shock, they followed after Rick and Jonathon, Tip grumbling as he doggie-paddled along.

Thankfully, ground met their feet within a few minutes, and the tiny group dragged themselves in a shambling walk onto shore.

"We've lost everything!" Evelyn nearly shouted, exhausted and soaked as the situation finally set in. "All of our tools, all the equipment! All my _clothes_!"

"Well, at least we lost the warden, too." Alexandra noted cheerfully, snickering as Basil shook himself dry.

Of course, the warden chose that moment to appear like a beaching whale, gasping for breath as Sabra scurried past him to burrow into dry sand.

Watching this blankly, Alexandra heaved a disappointed sigh.

" _Damn_."

"Hey, O'Connell!"

Both O'Connell siblings turned to see Beni standing on the opposite shore, Ammon shaking himself dry and chattering smugly.

"Looks to me like I've got all the horses!"

"Hey, Beni!" Rick shouted back, Tip chuffing a laugh. "Looks to me like you're on the wrong side of the river!"

Watching the Hungarian throw a tantrum as the realization sunk in, swearing in every language he knew and kicking at the water, Alexandra began to smile.

"Worth it."


	4. Chapter 4

Pokemon have been a point of fascination throughout all of human history.

Allies, enemies, friends, pets…

The people of Egypt saw them as omens, good and bad, of things to come.

Rare colorations were each their own message from the gods, and these spread like wildfire through the nomadic tribes, warnings and prophecies in equal measure.

So when whispers reached the Med-Jai of a Houndoom that guarded the key and a Lucario gold as Ra's sun, Ardeth Bay saw the signs for what they were.

A great battle was coming…

 _Whether these people would be their destruction or salvation was yet to be seen_.

* * *

Checking the moon's position overhead, Alexandra hummed an old lullaby to herself as the camel plodded on, a stray breeze rustling through the thin, gauzy layers of her garments.

Their saviors, a group of Bedouin who had spotted the fire and come to help any survivors, had not only led them to an oasis town for new supplies, but supplied clothes for the women to travel in.

Standing on the saddle behind her human, Scarlet scanned the horizon instead, ears twitching at every Sandile, Numel, and Skorupi that passed by under the sand.

Snores worthy of a Snorlax erupted from the rear of their little caravan, and even Sabra snorted in surprise at the warden's volume, swerving in his swim through the sand.

It certainly startled Jonathon, who, after a moment of thought, handed Basil the camel whip so the Ambipom could gleefully whack the warden instead.

Tip chuffed a laugh from his sprawl on the back of Rick's camel, horns gleaming wickedly in the moonlight, as Isis covered her giggles with both hands.

Then Scarlet touched her shoulder, and Alexandra zeroed in on the rock outcropping to their left, weak human eyes spotting the group of men on horseback after a few moments.

A tingle of awareness rippled down her spine, and Scarlet lent the woman her sight of black-robed, tattooed warriors watching them pass by below.

Isis went quiet, eyes locking on to the strangers as she projected _uneasefearworry_ strong enough for Tip to bare his fangs silently at their new audience.

Rick glanced back, steadying a sleeping Evelyn as she swayed in the saddle, and Alexandra nodded back, hand falling to the array of knives safely sheathed on her saddle.

 _Let them come_.

* * *

Dawn arrived with the Americans and their massive following, Beni at the lead.

"Good morning, my friend."

Tip leveled the man and his Raticate with a flat, burning look as Rick nodded back in almost mocking agreement, wheeling his camel around to face away from the rock face and out to open sand.

Patting her own steed's head, Alexandra eyed the many horses their rivals were riding, and Scarlet tipped her head with a smile.

"What the hell we doing?" One of the Americans, Daniels, demanded of their guide, his Boldore grumbling with a sound like scraping boulders.

"Patience, my good _baratom_. Patience."

"Remember our bet, O'Connell." Another, Henderson, shouted, his Sandslash perched like a spiky shield on his back. "First one to the city, five hundred cash bucks."

"A hundred of them bucks is yours if you help us win that bet." Daniels added to Beni, and Ammon chattered lowly in response.

"Oh, my pleasure."

The siblings shared a look, Alexandra's raised brow met with a slightly guilty shrug, before Rick nodded to the empty horizon.

"Get ready for it."

"For what?" Evelyn wondered, Isis seated safely in her lap.

"We're about to be shown the way."

All of the Pokemon went silent, a ripple of awareness, as the sun began to rise.

Wide green eyes watched as, like a mirage, sandstone walls and heavy pillars slid into view, a great shroud being lifted off the ruins of Hamunaptra.

A growl rumbled from Scarlet's chest into her own, Auras meshing, and Alexandra saw the darkness, so deep it blocked out the sun and the blueblueblue of living souls, like a shadow hanging over the world.

Taking a sharp breath, the hot air catching in her lungs like hooked claws, she was oblivious to the stampede that took off towards Hamunaptra, transfixed.

Something stirred in the depths of her soul, like a long-dormant facet finally starting to wake, and the word that fell from the woman's lip was both a surprise and a sad discovery.

"Imhotep…"


	5. Chapter 5

To say Alexandra had mixed feelings about Hamunaptra would be like saying Jonathon only had an _inclination_ towards good liqueur.

While most of her certainly wanted to leave, to get away as fast as she could from the cloying darkness that permeated the very sand under their feet, there was that little fragment inside that pulled her further in, like a compass needle pointing north.

Scarlet seemed more resigned than anything, fur bristling in waves every few minutes once within the crumbling perimeter, though Tip was hardly any better, tense as a spring and prowling in circles around the group as if keeping watch for an unseen enemy.

Even Isis, who had been so excited only hours ago, seemed to rely on Evelyn's enthusiasm for her own flagging spirts more and more as the day passed.

It was clear all of the Pokemon were extremely uneasy about the City of the Dead, though perhaps not to the same extent.

Sitting on a piece of stone wall, Alexandra watched the group of diggers start excavating under Doctor Chamberlain's orders, his Beheeyem twitching as the lights of his fingers flashed in frantic patterns.

"That's the statue of Anubis." Evelyn informed them, cleaning off sand from the ancient mirror she had found. "Its legs go deep underground. According to Bembridge scholars, that's where we'll find a secret compartment containing the golden Book of Amun-Ra."

Turning her attention back as a rope was thrown down into the deep crevice by said statue's base, Alexandra blinked at the sudden jolt that title caused in her heart.

"That's for catching the sunlight, not checking your teeth." She told Jonathon, who sheepishly wiped the mirror down and readjusted the angle again as Basil clung to his back with all four hands.

Chuffing softly, Tip stepped up a slight incline to nudge Isis' shoulder, tail low as the humanoid Psychic/Fairy-type managed a smile and pat his cheek in reassurance.

"So, uh, what are these old mirrors for?" Rick wondered, clearly out of his element.

"Ancient mirrors." Evelyn corrected, hardly seeming to notice. "It's an ancient Egyptian trick. You'll see."

Nodding along, he fumbled for a leather pouch in his pocket, and Alexandra zeroed in on the awkwardness immediately.

"Uh, here. This is, uh, for you."

The Englishwoman paused as she accepted the bundle, confused, and Rick stumbled on.

"Go ahead. It's something I borrowed off our American brethren. I thought you might like it-You might need it, for when you're, uh…"

He mimicked excavation, or tried to, while already retreating.

"Uh, yeah."

Turning to find Alexandra's smiling face, Rick was immediately on the defensive.

"What?"

The brunette only shrugged, though Scarlet's own smile was answer enough in the face of Tip's bared fangs.

"Nothing."

Grumbling darkly, knowing she was not- _and would never be_ -afraid of him, Rick whirled on the unsuspecting warden instead.

"What are you looking at?"

Giggling as the man raised both hands in surrender, Sabra retreating into the sand, Alexandra turned back to the time-worn statue of the jackal-headed god, pulling up short.

Like a gargoyle on the broken column, an Absol blinked light green eyes back at her, red fur tinting his long fur pink as light gleamed off the Dark-type's signature blade.

The sight made her stomach drop like a stone.

 _You never wanted to be in a place where an Absol showed up_.

A stray sunbeam blinded her, and in the moment Alexandra blinked, the Disaster Pokemon was gone.

"Alex?"

Looking towards her brother, poised over the crevice that would take their group underneath the statue, she managed to cover up with a smile as Scarlet's sharp gaze swept to the left.

"What, Ricky? Scared of the dark?"

Scoffing sparks, Tip leapt down ahead of his human without hesitation, though Rick took an extra few moments to study her face before dropping down after, rope in hand.

Waving off the Carnahan siblings' concern, Alexandra passed a hand over her Lucario's head as the others surrounded the crevice.

Scarlet hummed, fur smoothing out under her touch as Auras brushed reassuringly against each other.

"Come on, then." She muttered, following. "Might as well see what the fuss is about."

Grabbing up the rope and tugging once to make sure the line was still secure, she paused for the Lucario to jump onto her back before dropping into the black, pushing off the sandy rock in a steady descent until ground appeared underfoot.

Tip lit up a torch in the scant sunlight that filtered through from above, and Scarlet hopped down with hardly a sound, scanning the empty room for threats as Evelyn followed on their heels with Isis.

"You alright?" Rick questioned, carefully looking everywhere but in her direction.

"I'm fine." Alexandra assured quietly, gaze flicking up towards the Englishwoman and her Kirlia. "I just…I don't feel like we should be here."

"Tell me about it." He muttered, clapping a hand on her shoulder. "Just don't touch anything."

"Yeah, _that'll_ save us…" The young woman grumbled, moving to help Evelyn land on her feet as Isis spun out onto the cool sand, staring around in wonder.

"Do you realize we're standing inside a room that no one has entered in over three thousand years?" The librarian breathed out in amazement as Jonathon flailed down the rope with Basil.

"Whew!" He grunted, nose wrinkling in disgust. "What is that god-awful stench?"

Then the warden was right there, and that answered _all of the questions_.

Brushing cobwebs off an ancient mirror, Alexandra checked the angle of light, like she had done so hundreds of times before, and tilted it just so-

Everyone gaped as the room lit up, mirrors shining, and she stared around with blank eyes, frowning.

 _It hadn't looked like this_ …

"That is a neat trick." Rick admitted, dropping a hand onto Tip's head as the Houndoom chuffed.

"Oh my God. It's a _sah-netjer_." Evelyn realized, stepping past them with Isis tiptoeing at her side.

"Huh?"

"A preparation room."

All eyes turned to Alexandra, who blinked back innocently, mirages fading from her vision.

"Preparation for what?" Rick wondered, concern growing.

"For entering the afterlife." Evelyn answered, clearly reevaluating the youngest O'Connell as she directed the group towards a passageway.

"Mummies, my good son." Jonathon elaborated, brushing himself off as Basil chattered nervously. "This is where they made the mummies."

The halls were still dark, light unable to angle all the way through, but Alexandra did not hesitate for a single moment, leading them further along the rough-hewn corridor without the aid of Rick's torch.

Tugging on the American's pants leg, Isis peered up at him with big red eyes, projecting _concerncuriosityunease_ as Evelyn brushed a hand through the Psychic/Fairy-type's soft hair.

"Is she alright?" The woman whispered, some of the Emotion Pokemon's disquiet filtering through her academic haze.

"Alex? She's fine." Rick rushed to assure, the look in his eyes contradicting the forced nonchalance.

"I don't know, old boy." Jonathon agreed, reaching back to rub Basil's head as the Ambipom pushed aside cobwebs. "She does seem a little preoccupied now, doesn't she?"

"Really, Alex is just-"

A horrible chittering sound echoed around them, like thousands of exoskeletons rushing over each other, and Scarlet bared her fangs, Aura pulsing jagged with aggression as the brunette dropped into a crouch, gaze sweeping over the walls and sand.

As the sound faded, leaving only the crackle of fire and breathing, she slowly straightened.

"What was that?" Jonathon questioned, bewildered, as Basil trembled.

"Sounds like…bugs." Rick answered, Tip snarling sparks as Isis shuddered, clinging to Evelyn's leg.

"Scarabs." Alexandra muttered, green eyes on the lookout for shiny carapaces and skittering shadows.

"He said bugs." Evelyn reported down the line, already following as the O'Connell siblings continued onward.

"What do you mean bugs? I hate bugs!" Warden Hassan complained, whipping his torch around as Sabra tiptoed in fright.

A sharp turn appeared ahead, and Alexandra signaled as such to her brother, fingers tapping on her thigh while she peeked around.

Ears twitching, Scarlet nodded, and the group soon entered another dark, cobweb-infested room where a pair of stone legs took pride of place.

"The legs of Anubis." Evelyn confirmed, Isis passing a hand over the stone before shuddering and snatching the limb back.

Stepping between the smaller Pokemon and the dark stone, Scarlet stared at the sand hard as Tip snorted smoke and Basil squeaked, hiding as best he could behind Jonathon.

Alexandra's gaze was locked below the statue, eyes unfocused as Scarlet's Aura-sight overlaid her own.

The darkness was so thick, the very heart of it, pulsing and writhing and _screaming_ -

Rick shoved her shoulder, and she jerked out of the trance, on high-alert as foreign Auras blazed into her awareness.

Both hands fell to the knives on her thighs, the blades long and wickedly sharp, as Rick pulled out a second revolver and inched around the statue's base.

Indistinct voices came into range next, echoing eerily off the old walls, and drove the other two men to draw their own guns.

Leaping out of cover, they were faced with the Americans and their own extensive group of diggers, guns pointing both ways.

"You scared the bejesus out of us, O'Connell." Henderson voiced as everyone lowered their weapons, his Darla grumbling.

"Likewise."

"Hey." Burns started, his Farfetch'd hopping forward. "That's my tool kit."

"No, I don't think so."

Weapons were raised in record time, and the man backed away, Mitch yelping as Tip snapped in warning.

" _Okay_ …Perhaps I was mistaken…"

"Well, have a nice day, gentlemen." Evelyn interceded, Isis vibrated at her side. "We have a lot of work to be getting along with."

"Push off!" Doctor Chamberlain retorted, his Nenet flashing a warning. "This is our dig site."

"We got here first." The Englishwoman stated firmly, some of the nearby rocks trembling in their own warning as Isis fixed the Beheeyem with a glare as weapons were leveled once more.

"This here's our statue, friend." Daniels insisted, Greg shifting threateningly.

"I don't see your name written on it, pal." Rick countered, Tip's growl slowly growing into a deep, frightening snarl.

"Yes, well, there's only four of you, and fifteen of me." Beni pointed out, Ammon gnashing his teeth. "Your odds are not so great, O'Connell."

"Really, boys."

The Americans gulped at Alexandra's smile, all teeth and predatory sharpness, Scarlet thrumming with restrained violence.

"Do you think you're going to even slow us down?"

Even Mitch retreated a step, and all of their guns were soon trained on the tiny brunette, whose smile only widened.

"Oh, look. For goodness' sake, let's be nice, children." Evelyn scolded lightly, stepping between the expeditions and putting a hand on Rick's arm. "If we're going to play together, we must learn to share."

She shared a meaningful look with the eldest O'Connell.

"There are other places to dig."

After a moment, Rick nodded to his sister while holstering both guns, and she sighed in disappointment.

 _It would have been such a good challenge, too_ …


	6. Chapter 6

"According to these hieroglyphics, we're underneath the statue." Evelyn informed them as Rick and Jonathon worked at prying the ceiling slabs loose. "We should come up right between his legs."

"And when those damn Yanks go to sleep-No offense-."

"None taken." The O'Connell siblings replied, Alexandra circling around in a lazy look-out.

"We'll dig our way up and steal that book right out from under them."

"Are you sure we can find this secret compartment thing?" Rick wondered, switching out for a pick to better break through.

"Oh yes, if those beastly Americans haven't beaten us to it." Evelyn replied, Isis telekinetically lifting a tool to join in. "No offense."

"None taken."

"Hey." Jonathon realized, Basil clinging with one hand as the other three were occupied with digging tools. "Where'd our smelly little friend go?"

Scarlet shrugged, nodding her head towards one of the branching hallways, and Tip rolled his eyes from where he lounged on one of the empty statue bases.

"Away." Alexandra translated, a smile flickering across her face.

The trio shared a look before shrugging as well, returning to the task at hand as the brunette stared up at the ceiling, smile slipping away into a troubled frown.

The darkness was so thick here that it was impossible to even see Scarlet's Aura from where the Lucario stood at her side, let alone the men she knew were above them…

"Hey."

Blinking the shadows away, an unearthly screaming still ringing in her ears, Alexandra turned to her brother as the Carnahan siblings stepped down, leaving a sizable hole in the ceiling at least twice as wide as she remembered.

"Sure you're okay?" Rick pressed, brow furrowing in expanding concern.

"You're such a mother-hen." She teased, fingers sliding into Scarlet's fur. "I'm still fine, you big worrywart."

Rolling his eyes at the jab, Rick pressed a hand to her shoulder, leaning down to make direct eye contact.

"Family looks out for family. You need me, I'm here."

Mouth twisting in an exaggerated disgust at the mushy moment, Alexandra deflated with a sigh, nodding.

"Yeah, I know…"

Pleased that she at least knew that much, he ruffled her messy ponytail with a snicker and walked back over to Evelyn, who started in on a rather cheery explanation of mummification.

Shoving her wayward curls back, Alexandra sent a half-hearted glare her brother's way before green eyes dropped to meet red.

 _If only things were that simple_.

* * *

"Let me get this straight." Rick cut in, Tip sprawled across his feet as Isis cradled the Dark Pokemon's head on her own lap. "They ripped out your guts, and they stuffed them in jars…"

"And then they take out your heart as well." Evelyn confirmed, gesturing with a small tool from her American-procured kit. "Oh, and you know how they took out your brains?"

"Evy, I don't think we need to know this." Jonathon interrupted, using a pick and some small stones to perfect his golf swing, though she ignored him.

"They'd take a sharp, red-hot poker, stick it up your nose, scramble things about a bit, and then rip it all out through your nostrils."

"Ow." Alexandra noted blandly, Scarlet biting back a smile at her dry humor.

"Oh, that's gotta hurt." Rick agreed, flinching as if imagining the pain.

"You're dead when they do it, Ricky." His sister pointed out, snickering. "You don't feel a thing."

"For the record, if I don't make it out of here, don't put me down for mummification." The eldest O'Connell decided.

"Likewise." Jonathon agreed, taking another swing-

Basil shrieked when a heavy stone object fell from the weakened ceiling and hit the floor with an echoing BANG, Alexandra already on her feet as Scarlet snarled, Auras pulsing in fright.

Coughing at the disturbed sand in her airway, Evelyn stepped closer, studying what seemed to be a coffin of some sort as Isis trailed in her wake, horns twinging.

"Oh my God, it's a-"

"Sarcophagus." Alexandra whispered, the darkness seeping out of the stone so thick it was almost hard to breathe.

"Buried at the base of Anubis." Evelyn agreed, staring up at the broken ceiling that once held this strange object. "He must have been someone of great importance…Or he did something _very_ naughty."

As Evelyn scrambled to get out a brush to clear away sand from the hieroglyphs, the female O'Connell could only stare, dread and something like sorrow twisting her insides into painful knots.

"So, who is it?" Jonathon demanded, holding up a torch for his sister to read by.

Tip prowled around the room, keeping far from the Egyptian coffin, with Isis trotting at his side and sliding nervous glances over every few moments.

"He That Shall Not Be Named…"

The translation made those knots _ache_ , and Alexandra pressed a hand to her belly as Scarlet whined, shaking out her ears.

"This looks like some sort of lock." Rick pointed out, having uncovered a size-pointed indentation.

"Well, whoever's in here sure wasn't getting out." Jonathon joked, gaze darting to where Basil was now riding on Tip's back.

"Yeah, no kidding…It'd take us a month to crack into this thing without a key."

"A key?" Evelyn parroted, mouth twisting in thought before realization struck. "A key! A key! Now _that's_ what he was talking about!"

As the Englishwoman rushed to retrieve something from their bags, Rick shared a confused look with Jonathon and Alexandra.

"Who was talking about what?"

"The man on the barge." She explained, brandishing the puzzle box. "The one with the hook. He was looking for a key."

Once open, the box fit perfectly into the slot, and two separate facets of Alexandra's soul rejoiced and shuddered at the discovery.

"I don't think we should open it." She forced out, fingers tangling in her Lucario's fur as the golden-furred Aura Pokemon bristled.

"Come on, it'll be-"

Rick's assurances were cut short by a bloodcurdling scream, and the quartet rushed out into the biggest branching hallway, weapons drawn.

Warden Hassan, screaming and clutching his head, ran headlong through his bewildered travel companions and right into a wall, the resulting CRACK the very last sound he made.

Wide-eyed, Alexandra turned to see if his Hippowdon was following in the now-dead man's footsteps, and found Sabra a dead weight on the sand, blood leaking from every orifice.

Heart hammering with adrenaline, she turned to her brother, skin tight with goosebumps.

"I didn't do it."


End file.
